>>57132811>>57133174>>57133238What's really interesting is their Japanese names and entries in the Pokedex as well.
Vileplum's Japanese name is Ruffresia, or Rafflesia essentially, with Venusaur's being strangeflower. What's more interesting is their entire line's entries.
Oddish's feet are actually roots, and it's body is essentially just a long stem, meaning at night it wonders to spread pollen and seeds. Gloom's drool is actually honey it uses to lure in Pokemon, with Vileplum exposing pollen and spores to spread and essentially fainting/killing other Pokemon.
Bulbasaur's entries say that it has a strange seed implanted on its back at birth, which means it likely comes from some type of spore from the line as they breed that mixes with the egg, Ivysaur and Venusaur straight up say the flower grows as it does. But what's interesting is that Venusaur's entries say the flower has a pleasant scent, so something about Venusaur and the way the two co-exist to share energy between the two to continue existing has evolved the Rafflesia into a pleasant smelling flower to attract more Pokemon. Also note with Bulbasaur's entry it says the seed on it's back, which implies Bulbasaur is the Pokemon, not the flower like Vileplum, despite being named Strange Flower eventually.
So if this was a real world scenario then you'd have this scenario basically.
>Oddish are a natural plant that grows and blooms into a Rafflesia/Vileplum, it's spores spread, which likely infected Bulbasaur, which then as it grows, they begin a symbiotic relationship in which the Rafflesia adapts due to a Bulbasaur's genetics, spreading at birth or through pollen, which could theoretically infect other Pokemon as well depending on their biology. Scientists however likely would have discovered Bulbasaur believing it to be the flower at first, hence the name Strange Seed, and then later discovered Oddish/Vileplum, giving it the name Rufflesia, never correcting Bulb's name due to common usage.